Insight Into Scripture
The list of 30 men in chapter 23 were a special group that had attached themselves to David. They served as a "Special Forces" group.
Taking census was a practical measure utilized by governments. But these census were not appreciated by the people. It usually lead to tax levies as well as forced labor and military services.(24:1-7)
The angel afflicting the people (24:16) was the same terminology used for the destroying angel in the Passover.
A threshing floor (24:24) was a place where grain was threshed. Usually clay soil was packed to a hard smooth surface. Sheaves of grain were spread out on the floor then trampled by oxen. Fans or shovels were used to separate the chaff.
Blessings
In verse 24:18 the Bible states how David built an altar to YAHWEH and sacrificed oxen for his disobedience. YAHWEH was pleased with David's sacrifice and stopped the plague on Israel.
This weekend we start into the books of Kings. I have posted the readings below. The first part of 1 Kings starts with David's death and Solomon's reign. I pray that you have a BLESSED weekend!
Scripture Reading
1 Again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go, number Israel and Judah." 2 So the king said to Joab, the commander of the army, who was with him, "Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and number the people, that I may know the number of the people." 3 But Joab said to the king, "May the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see it, but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?" 4 But the king's word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to number the people of Israel.
10 But David's heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O LORD, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly." - 2 Samuel 24:1-4, 10 ESV
Thought for the Day
This story is a good example of pride, faith, YAHWEH's mercy. See 1 Chronicles 21:1-17 for more insight to this story.
The story starts out by David being tempted by satan. Maybe satan played with David's pride, or maybe satan used fear to tempt David to take the census. Whatever it was David lost the connection with YAHWEH and gave into the temptation. What do you do when you are tempted by satan?
It was wrong for David to take the census. Israel was at peace so there was no need to enlist the troops. Joab knew this census was wrong. He even tried to call David on it, but David, being the anointed king, had the final say and Joab respected him. When you are struggling with a decision you must make, are you open to others opinions or are you closed minded? GOD may put someone in your life to be HIS voice, are you listening?
David, being true to his character felt guilty about his decision, desired to make peace with YAHWEH, admitted his sin, and accepted YAHWEH's judgement. When you have sinned, are you quick to ask forgiveness and humbly accept any consequences given?
In closing I saw one point that I thought I would share with you. YAHWEH gave David his punishment after he had confessed his sin, not before. Maybe YAHWEH wanted David to confess first, and see if David was truly sorry by his acceptance of the punishment. I hope this story of David helped you see events happening in your life.
Closing Prayer
Dear Jesus
Thank You Lord for this awesome moon and star that are glistening through my window, as if You are saying good night. Father thank You for the time we get to share together, I pray that I can use it wisely. Father I pray that You help me realize my sins, and confess them with an open heart. Thank You for loving me so much.
In Jesus' name I pray,
Amen.
PS I love You.
5 comments:
I start every morning the same way as does most people. I awake, stretch, yawn, roll over and put legs on floor and call on the Lord.... OHHHH LOOORRRRDDD (well everyone might not do this)LOL! but I truly am calling on Him. I am up and I brush teeth (others appreciate this)and hair, mosey downstairs where I have my coffee, computer and usually a little quiet time before the day is off and running.....now the coffee and computer gives same result but to two different areas. The Coffee finishes waking up my body and computer wakes up my spirit (this is where I start my day in devotion with God.)
Now here is where we all probably start to different: I get up with Coffee, my daughter Pepsi ( she says this is her coffee), some it's hot tea, some cold tea, some varing juices, my daughter in law loves her Mt. Dew. There is one drink that most of us have all heard is good for when we just don't feel so well, it's 7up. I have found a new type of 7up that is good for what ever ales you in spirit or physical if taken in.
FIND BELOW:
The 7 Ups!
1. Wake Up !!
Decide to have a good day.
"This is the day the Lord hath made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalms 118:24
2. Dress Up !!
The best way to dress up is to put on asmile.
A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at outward appearance,
But the Lord looks at the heart."
I Samuel 16:7
3. Shut Up!!
Say nice things and learn to listen.
God gave us two ears and one mouth,
So He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking.
"He who guards his lips guards his soul."
Proverbs 13:3
4. Stand Up!!
.. . . For what you believe in.
Stand for something or you will fall for anything.
"Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time,
We will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..."
Galatians 6:9-10
5. Look Up !!
.. . . To the Lord.
"I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me".
Philippians 4:13
6. Reach Up !!
.. . . For something higher.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not unto your own understanding.
In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path."
Proverbs 3:5-6
7. Lift Up !!
.. . . Your Prayers.
"Do not worry about anything; instead
PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING."
Philippians 4:6
Bible Trivia:
What prophet went through an earthquake only to learn that God spoke in a gentle whisper?
ELIJAH
1 Kings 19:11-13
19:12 -
And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
19:13-
When Elijah heard it, he pulled
his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
This scripture causes me to think of the many earthquakes and fires in my life. During those times I have looked for God, not to say that these things are never Him, but I have found something different in most of these times. I have come to see the quaking and trembling and fires as the forerunners of God and all His glory. In my life as with Elijah it usually is the time just after all is quiet that I find God. I hear Him the loudest and the most clear. In the past few years I have had several opportunities to experience and come to know that voice quiet well. The Sudden Death of a 37 yr.old son in law leaving behind two beautiful little girls, same week husband of 32 years suffering 1 of 2 heart attacks, and the husbands decision to leave a job of 20 years, I had known this was coming for some time, the hardest part of this one was me keeping quiet and NOT BEING GOD'S VOICE TO HIM and letting him HEAR GOD'S VOICE. That one is another lesson in itself and for another time and day.
I close with this:
Zechariah 4:6 -
Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, `Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts.
IN CHRIST
Ecc.3
Donna
Coming to the end of 2Samuel it has made and impression on me about one word.
REPENTANCE
I saw two great men ask for repentance one being Saul and other David.
In their asking for repentance, a
difference between Saul and David Repentance becomes noticeable.
Both sinned. David was an adulterer and murderer (2S.11).
The difference: After David committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged to have Uriah killed, the prophet Nathan confronted him with his sins, and David didn’t excuses, as Saul when he spared the best of the Amalekite livestock against God’s will (1S.15:3, 9). When David was confronted with his adultery and murder, his answer was simple and straight forward: "I have sinned against the Lord" (2S.12:13).
This is what really holds true for today. When we REPENT do we do it straight forward or do we still try to excuse it away. I know God would prefer STRAIGHT FORWARD and man probably to.
IN CHRIST
Ecc.3
Donna
As I have watched my sone grow up, not taking responsibility for your actions.... you are born with it. It takes someone with alot of self confidence (In Christ) to say. I sinned, I am wrong, forgive me, and move on.
This is really neat as I set here thinking over my day I run across a little story, that I thought I would post here. As I attend a new Church Plant from a large Church of over 5000 and the new Work attendance is about 70. Our Pastor started at the Home church several years ago as one of the Worship leaders. We jokingly say I was the first to threaten Him as I told him if he ever started a church in my range of driven my family and I would be right there. He or I neither one knew that that was what God was up to, Him becoming a Pastor of a new work and in my driving range, 10 minutes away.ha ha ha. Due to obligations at the Home Church it took me about 1 year for my threat to him to come through, but it did and it is God not me... His sermons for the past couple of weeks has been based on his vision for the church which has been a deviation from a series on Prayer and How to Pray. In todays msg. one question he asked was who can remember a scene from a movie that has become a part of his/her memory, or some particular event with a person maybe something they have said or done, then he asked the same of a sermon. Well this came across my computer as I was thinking of todays doings and brought back the msg. I thought I would post this one on this Beautiful 22nd day of April, Sunday.
Why go to Church?
If you're spiritually alive, you're going to love this! If you're spiritually dead, you won't want to read it. If you're spiritually curious, there is still hope!
A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.
"I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."
This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until
someone wrote this clincher:
"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this ... They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today.
Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"
When you are DOWN to nothing... God is UP to something!
Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!
IN CHRIST
Ecc.3
Donna
P.S.
(Oh Jim I noticed the time of your post was at the time I started this.) Hope you and your family have had a great Day in our Lord.
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